123 years ago, on 29 September 1901, Sacred Heart Cathedral was officially opened by Cardinal Patrick Moran, the Archbishop of Sydney. The Hibernian Society presented Cardinal Moran with a gold pen, an appropriate gift “for one who had so frequently used his pen in the support of the church”, while students of St Mary’s College, Bendigo gave him an inkwell made from an emu egg.

We share two newspaper articles of Cardinal Moran’s visit to open the Cathedral. They give a glimpse of our Diocese in the first year of Federation. When, due to the Education Act 1872, the strategic priority of Catholic Bishops in Victoria had been to build schools, rather than Cathedrals, men carried white handkerchiefs to wave in solidarity and prelates were greeted on train platforms to great fanfare, and singing and marching children.

To read transcriptions of these news articles please click on links below:

  pdf Large Gathering of Clergy, Address by Cardinal Moran (904 KB) .

  pdf Prelates Visit St Mary's College (339 KB) .

Cardinal Patrick Moran is seated centre, holding his hat.  To his left is Archbishop Thomas Carr (Melbourne) and to his right is Sandhurst Codajutor Bishop, Stephen Reville.  Bishop Martin Crane (Sandhurst)  wasn't present for this photo as he was too unwell and died just three weeks later. 

The emu egg inkwell gifted to Cardinal Moran by St Mary's College Bendigo can be seen on the small table. It is now housed in the archives of the Archdiocese of Sydney.   The gold pen gifted to Cardinal Moran by the Hibernian Society is now housed in the archives of St Mary's Cathedral Sydney.